The Illini looked rejuvenated in their last few games and were even starting to put together some kind of run. But for now, the unforeseen extent of that run will have to be put on hold. On Thursday night, it was back to losing during the final two minutes – a period head coach Jolette Law refers to as the “Orange Zone.” The Illini fell just short of evening up their conference record in Madison, Wis., falling to Wisconsin 66-64.

With 18 seconds remaining in the game and the Illini down by four, senior guard Rebecca Harris made a layup to put the team within two of the Badgers. Junior forward Chelsea Gordon quickly fouled Rae D’Alie, who missed a free throw with six seconds to go. And then – nothing. Sophomore forward Lacey Simpson rebounded the ball but the game simply fizzled out as the clock ran down before the Illini could dictate.

“I clearly thought my player got a foul, but the officials didn’t seem to think so,” Law said about the final play in a press release. “They made the call and that was the ball game. Our design was clearly to get back to the hole, to the basket and have Lori (Bjork) come over a double screen at the top. (The official) indicated that she (Harris) traveled and there was no time left on the clock.”

Illinois (14-11, 6-8 Big Ten) was able to put up the offensive numbers it needed against Wisconsin (12-11, 5-8), but it could not stop the Badger attack led by senior guard Jolene Anderson.

The preseason Big Ten Player of the Year put up 25 points and 12 rebounds against the Illini.

Although the team fell just short, Jenna Smith still had a spectacular performance. Smith led the Orange and Blue with 24 points, extending her current streak of double-digit scoring to 27 games – the longest in the Big Ten.

She also had 14 rebounds, making it her 13th game with a double-double, the most in the conference.

“(Smith and Anderson) are both tremendous players and the way the game started when (Illinois) went right in to Jenna, I think she had the first six or eight points for Illinois, I was like ‘Oh boy, here we go,'” Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said in a press release.

The only other player to score in double digits for the Illini was senior guard Rebecca Harris, who had 18 points, 16 of which came in the second half and 10 during the “Orange Zone.”

The Illini beat Wisconsin earlier this season at Assembly Hall 64-54, but kept with their road woes in the second contest. The team is just 2-6 on the road in the Big Ten this season.

Luckily, three of its four games left are at home. But if the Illini want to make any sort of case that they deserve to be part of the postseason action, the team will need to pull out a win at Michigan State on Feb. 28.

“I’m just trying to keep us focused on the season’s not over, and we’ve just to continue to take one game at a time and just close out the season,” Law said.

“Anything’s possible in this league. We’ve got to learn to control our own destiny.”